Anyone who loves you would be thrilled if you decided to stop smoking. Your doctor says that if you don’t, you could suffer serious health consequences. Even your insurance company is willing to give you a discount if you quit. What reasons do you have for continuing to smoke? Even if you have failed before, you can do it this time. Use the following tips to quit smoking for good.
To increase your chances of being successful in your efforts to quit smoking, consider writing out a list of pros and cons of quitting. Writing it down can affect your mental outlook. This may up your motivation to stick to it this time, and it may be easier because you might be more focused to see it through.
Make your attempts as manageable as possible. It is not usually wise to try and quit cold turkey. If you try quitting cold turkey, you may end up relapsing. Because nicotine is so addicting, a patch, medication, or therapy may be helpful. The most difficult stage is the initial few days and these products can help ease that difficulty and increase your chances for success.
If you can’t do away with a craving altogether, try to at least hold out against it for as long as possible. For example, require yourself to take a long stroll before you give in and have a smoke. If nothing else, pour yourself a big iced tea and promise yourself to finish drinking it first. Perhaps the extra few minutes spent occupying your mind with something else can prevent you from smoking. If you still feel you need that cigarette, delaying it may mean you will be smoking at least one less on that particular day.
When attempting to quit smoking, you should make friends and family aware of your planned changes. Entrusting familiar people with this information can let them motivate you, along with helping you beat temptations. This might just be the extra push that you need to stay on track with your quitting plan.
Exercise Routine
Start an exercise routine, or join a gym, not only for the health benefits, but to keep you busy and away from cigarettes. Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and to gain a healthier attitude. If you don’t exercise, start off slowly with a few walks. Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise routine.
If you have been unable to quit smoking with just willpower, add some nicotine substitutes and see if that works. These products can be bought over the counter and give your body nicotine while you are breaking the habit. They are very helpful in reducing the withdrawal symptoms.
Avoid triggers you associate with smoking when you are trying to quit. For instance, if you enjoyed smoking in your vehicle or while reading a book, you must change this behavior while performing these tasks, so that you don’t automatically pull out a cigarette out of habit. Find a distraction to keep you occupied.
One small step toward quitting could be to switch cigarette brands. Choose a brand that has an unpleasant taste. Avoid smoking more of them than you normally would or inhaling them in different ways. This is one method that will ease you into quitting smoking.
Reduce the number of cigarettes that you smoke. That way, you can get off to a good start in your efforts to quit smoking. Wait an hour at least before getting that first smoke of that day. A great way to reduce the amount of cigarettes you are smoking is to only allow yourself to be able to smoke half of the cigarette at any time.
The only way to quit smoking is to stop. Quitting immediately, will provide the best chance for optimal health in the future. Just stop smoking and do not ever start again. This method of quitting cigarettes is not the easiest one. In the long-term, the method is the successful one.
Find a way to stay motivated at all times. This can be accomplished by posting motivational sayings in your office, or by wearing bracelets to symbolize your intentions. Having visual cues reminding you of your goals will help you to fight temptation.
Whatever activities and locations are most closely associated with smoking in your past, avoid them. You need to change your routine if smoking is a regular part of your life. If you smoke while you drink your coffee or while have cocktails with friends, you may need to stop doing those things. You could bring the coffee along for the ride to work and choose a different after-work activity until you get the cravings under control.
It is time to quit smoking. Just quit right now. Don’t schedule a day to quit further down the line. If you quit today, you immediately lower your risk of getting cancer or other potentially fatal diseases. You will also be protecting your family from the dangers of secondhand smoke. These things should make quitting even more important to you.
Eliminate items, smells or behaviors that trigger memories of smoking. Get rid of any ashtrays and lighters you may have around your home. Abolish the stench of smoke in your house by cleaning all clothing that contains the smoke odor. When you can no longer smell smoke or see smoking equipment in your home, your home won’t remind you of cigarettes and end up triggering your nicotine and tobacco cravings.
Develop an easy-to-memorize list of your best motivations for quitting. Keep these reasons in mind every time you are losing your motivation until the cravings go away. This is valuable way to use your mental strength to overpower the withdrawal yearnings you might encounter and refocus it on things that are important to you.
Now you are well equipped with information that will enable you to stop this unwanted habit for good. Not only will quitting extend your life span and make you healthier, but you will feel happier. Take all the funds you would have spent on tobacco and buy something nice for your family for all the support they give you–they deserve it!
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